Looking to drop $3000.-3300 on .70- .75 for engagement

[Churchill]

What should I expect? I have seen some nice rocks in my range so far at .70-.73 in Ideal cut with I grade color. I just wonder what advice I can get from the experts in regard to this big purchase. So far I have gone to malls and looked at milky and overpriced merchandise and I seem to know more about cut than they do.I have seen some nice deals at James Allen so far. anything you guys give me will be greatly appreciated. TIA

 

[Dreamer_D]

I recommend buying online from a vendor that has a good reputation on pricescope. Its the best way to get a good deal. And then I suggest you buy a diamond that is an AGS0 or a GIA Excellent for cut grade. Beyong that, it comes down the budget and preference for color and clarity. You may also desire to use additional selection tools to evaluate cut, like the HCA or an ideal scope, to help narrow the GIA Excellent cut grade further to stones with even more precise cut parameters.

 

[E B]

Hi Churchill,

These options from James Allen look nice. JA can provide IS images for the GIA-graded stones.

http://www.jamesallen.com/diamonds/H-SI1-Ideal-Cut-Round-Diamond-1500364.asp?b=16&a=12&c=77&cid=131
http://www.jamesallen.com/diamonds/H-VS1-Excellent-Cut-Round-Diamond-1500103.asp
http://www.jamesallen.com/diamonds/H-VS2-Excellent-Cut-Round-Diamond-1518607.asp

 

[milton333]

You want to prioritize cut first, then balance color, clarity and size to your budget and preferences. So, kind of the hierarchy for shopping for ideal cut is kind of this, IMO:

1. Buy a branded stone from a reputable vendor. Whiteflash ACA, Solasfera, BN Signature, etc. You'll pay less than at a maul store or luxury store like Cartier for comparable quality. Because there's a lot of crappy stones from bad labs at mall stores that seem cheaper, option 1 can seem comparably pricier. This is the "autopilot" option - let a trusted expert pick out the stone for you.

2. Let a trusted lab evaluate the stone for you. AGS specifically grades for light performance, and to stricter specs than GIA's excellent cut. Pick an AGS ideal cut, the stone will have the light performance you need.

3. Apply HCA to GIA-graded stones from a few- or no-frills vendor. Rely on images of stone to evaluate clarity, and IS to double-check light performance if the vendor can get them. James Allen is a leading option here.

4. Shop locally with an Idealscope (you can purchase them for $25 online) and a smart phone to do HCA calcs, and see if you can find a deal in person.

5. Buy online from a no-frills vendor with a good return policy, buy only AGS or GIA, run HCA, and either buy a high enough clarity to be eye clean regardless (VS2should be fine under 1ct), or look for "good" inclusions in SI1 stones with the possibility of returning if not eye clean. Consider having stone shipped to you unset to evaluate.

6. Buy second-hand or vintage. Odds are that you will not get an ideal performer on the secondary market (because such a small percentage of stones are ideal), but take your IS, get a good return policy, and you may find something that works.

 

[ariel144]

Here's some and a great video to show the different premium round cuts and how they perform:

Ideal Cut vs Hearts & Arrows vs August Vintage OEC vs Solasfera

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uwiM3COzjFM&list=UUEV7slr-i-VduBBnfv9MxhA&index=88&feature=plcp



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